It’s your party so bring together people from all aspects of your life. Don’t start worrying whether they will get along. They are adults.
Once you’ve made your list, cluster them into four groups:
- social butterflies
- social introverts – aim for about 1.5 times more butterflies than introverts
- active helpers – those that jump in and help out by nature. Call on them to take on small jobs while you focus on hosting
- protectors – those with an authoritarian vibe, (or simply well-built), in case you need reinforcement to bring things under control. This is unlikely, so you only need one or two.
If you have a decent number of introverts coming, consider icebreaker activities that work with the party theme to get people going. Costumes, decorations and themed refreshments will obviously be conversation starters but some people need that little bit more to get into the party spirit.
Send invites out about six to eight weeks in advance with an RSVP date of a week before. If you send them too early, people can forget to put it in their diaries as it just feels ages away. If you send it too late, a lot of people will already have plans.
Consider inviting your neighbours as well as giving them notice that you’re having a party. It’s unlikely many of them will turn up but if they feel welcome, they will likely be more relaxed about the whole thing.